This year, the Denver Art Museum shines a light on Mexico’s rich cultural heritage—and its contemporary designers’ role as 21st-century innovators—with the new exhibition “Have a Seat: Mexican Chair Design Today,” on view through November 3. Featuring a site-specific
installation, three historical artworks and 17 contemporary seats designed by 22 Mexican artists, the show reveals how elements of Indigenous, Asian, African and European cultures have influenced the arts in Mexico from the time of the Spanish conquest right up to the 21st century.
A collection of stools includes ancient, colonial and midcentury modern perches; a grouping of easy chairs highlights the butaque and other hybrid seats that reflect the cross-cultural society that emerged after the European colonization; and a third assortment celebrates the enduring influence of Spanish chairs in Mexico. Interactive elements invite visitors to sit on selected seats.
